Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek Prime Minister
Antonis Samaras moved Friday to ease tensions between their two
nations, with the German leader calling for a show of solidarity in
Athens' battle to remain a member of the euro.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Samaras, Merkel rebuked
critics of Greece's efforts to clean up its state finances, saying:
"It is the duty of people who bear political responsibility in a
shared Europe to join things together."
But she was silent about Samaras' request for an extension of the
deadlines for Athens to cut spending. Nothing could be considered
until a group of experts have reported on Athens' progress in
implementing tough reforms, she told reporters.
A senior opposition politician said later he was convinced Merkel
would, in the end, grant Greece a time extension.
Joachim Poss, whose Social Democrats have urged more help for
Greece, said he now believed the government was working behind the
scenes to forge a consensus with Athens.
"The chancellor is going to have to make this clear to her own
supporters," said Poss, referring to a range of centre-right figures
who have called for Greece to be "made an example of" or expelled
from the eurozone.
Volker Kauder, a senior member of Merkel's own Christian
Democrats, said just before Samaras arrived that a Greek exit would
not pose a problem.
"We have the rescue packages, which we have built, as well as
substantial means to ensure that contagion does not occur," he said.
Merkel brushed aside a question about Kauder's remarks, saying she
was not aware of anyone in her party who wanted to see Greece out of
the 17-member bloc.
She told reporters that the aim of her talks on Thursday with
French President Francois Hollande had also been keeping Greece in
the currency zone. She is expected to have similar talks with Italian
Prime Minister Mario Monti next week.
Samaras lashed out at the "cacophony" from those Germans who have
raised the prospect of Greece leaving the euro.
He said his talks with Merkel had represented the "starting gun of
a new relationship" between their two nations. The two had another
45-minute talk after their press conference.
In Athens, the opposition criticized Samaras, whose diplomatic
offensive to shift Greece's deficit-cutting target for 2014 back to
2016 takes him to Paris on Saturday.
"The prime minister is giving his all and getting nothing in
return," sneered the radical left-wing party, SYRIZA, in a statement.
The ultra-conservative Independent Greeks accused him of not
trying hard enough for a time extension. The extreme right-wing
Golden Dawn party accused Merkel of behaving like a loan shark.
At a press briefing earlier Friday, a spokesman for the German
Finance Ministry confirmed that the government had set up more than a
year ago a special committee to deal with the debt crisis, including
studying the implications of a possible Greek exit.
Merkel told reporters that Europe had to wait for a report by the
so-called troika - the European Central Bank, European Commission and
International Monetary Fund - before any decisions can be reached on
Greece. The troika's report is not due until October.
In the meantime, Greek had to meet the commitments as set out in
the bailout deal that it has secured with international lenders, the
chancellor said.
Samaras is asking for more time to roll out the 11.5-billion-euro
(14.4-billion-dollar) cost-cutting programme Greece needs to
introduce in exchange for the second instalment of funds, insisting
that Greece is now sincerely pushing through reforms.
"We don't want any more money; we have not asked for more funds
but we need time to breathe," Samaras said.
Greece is now in its fifth year of recession.
Many analysts believe that Europe will eventually help Athens over
its latest obstacle and agree to paying out the next instalment,
worth 31.5 billion euros.
Merkel stressed Germany would do all it could to help Greece to
emerge from the crisis.
"The euro crisis will not be solved at a stroke of the wand, but
step by step. That requires a lot of work. Germany is bound in
friendship to Greece and wants to be helpful going along this route,"
she said.
Underscoring the political pressure facing Merkel, a poll
published Friday for German TV N24 by market researcher group Emnid
showed that 75 per cent of Germans were opposed to granting any
concessions to the reform plan already agreed to with Greece.
